Quid Pro Quo
by Samantha Bridges
Summary: Whee! the things I'll do for some people. Quid pro quo, Kurt, I'll tell me story if you'll tell yours. Oh, and its fixed, now I know why they have this preview thing on the doc manager.


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Now, would someone tell me again why I'm writing this? ::Looks over to see LoT waving a sign above her head that reads 'For Baby Abdule!' and sighs:: Er, right. My end of a deal with Kurt. An alternate version of chapter twelve from 'Wishing'. Enjoy!

*****

Petra was tense as she slowly took a seat opposite the one she offered to the FBI agent, folding her hands in her lap in what she hoped was a calm manner. Her mind was racing, trying to decipher how, exactly, Lindsey could have picked her out of this entire hotel as someone who may know anything about Dr. Hannibal Lecter. She knew her charade would be spotted as soon as she saw a picture of the doctor, her eyes would give her away, no matter how much she controlled her body language. Feeling like she was beside herself, watching as a spectator, Petra watched herself give a lovely performance. For all outward appearances, she seemed to know nothing of the sociopathic psychiatrist. All she knew of him, was from the books her mother had written. She watched this woman, younger than her, asking questions, and seemingly accepting her answers. Perhaps Petra had learned something from the doctor over the past six years. Special Agent Lindsey Singleton was rising from her chair, thanking Petra for her time, and was about to leave when everything fell apart.

The creek of the door in the bedroom was unmistakable and unable to be covered in the dead silence that now filled the suite. Both women immediately looked to the closed bedroom door, one with full knowledge of who was in there, the other very, very interested on finding out more. 

"Miss Morricone, is there someone else in here?" Lindsey asked, causing the petite woman's head to turn back to her. Petra didn't lie, completely.

"Err, yes. My, uh, boyfriend. He was resting when you showed up. I thought it best not to disturb him." she finished with a sheepish smile, shrugging lightly. Lindsey looked as if she didn't buy a word of it. She remained polite, though, as she took a step away from the chair and towards Petra.

"May I speak to him? Just the same routine questions I asked you." 

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Petra replied, backing slightly towards the door. She wasn't prepared for this eventuality. Why hadn't he stayed in the damn closet?! God, if he came out that door, everything would go to hell in a handbasket, FedEx, if you please. Lindsey was standing her ground, watching the retreating figure of Petra Morricone. She hadn't twitched since taking that step forward, and looked to be all business now. _Remember, she's the one with the gun,_ Petra's mind chattered nervously at her, and somewhere else in there came back with a reply; _Yes, but you've got a cannibal with a knife behind that door._ It took a great effort not to snicker at that, she felt her hand touch the cold metal of the door knob, closing over it.

"Let me check with him." She twisted the knob and began to open the door. Lindsey came forward another two steps, almost causing Petra to panic. All she could see of the room was the edge of a bed and out the window, looking towards her own hotel down the street. Petra was closing the door slightly behind her, calling out in a steady voice.

"Honey? There's an FBI agent here who'd like to talk to you." 

Petra did not know that Lindsey had stepped forward to the door, and had one hand on the knob and the other held her gun. Unfortunately, Lindsey did not know what was about to hit her as she pushed on the door slightly.

*****

Petra was staring nervously at him as she stepped into the bedroom, closing the door partially behind her. Her stomach was rapidly tying itself into knots as she looked up at Dr. Lecter, who was motioning her to be quiet with a finger laid against his lips. He heard Lindsey's quiet footsteps as she neared the door. Curious one, wasn't she? There was the tiniest of creaks from the door as she grasped the knob, the action pushing the door inward slightly. In turn, after gently moving Petra out of the way, he took hold of his own side of the door knob. Lindsey must have felt the resistance because the door stopped its inward swing. It took but a moment for her to push again, and he made his move, hand firmly grasping the knob as his other hand came up of its own accord.

"Miss Morricone? I…" the cool, polite tone quickly disintegrated into a shrill yelp as the door was yanked open, causing her to lose her balance. Before she could recover, Dr. Lecter had grasped her arm and had pulled her into the room. Allowing the momentum of his step backwards and the pull on her arm to carry her, Lindsey was flung none too gently onto the bed. Twin maroon orbs watched her roll ungracefully off the bed and onto the floor on the other side. She obviously had good training as she came back up within a few moments of her unceremonious landing. The gun had been knocked from her grip as she had been pulled into the room, and she was gathering herself to lunge back across the bed for it when Petra went dove for it.

*****

Hannibal Lecter was already on his way out of the room when Petra lunged across the bed. He had to get out of here before he could be apprehended. Quickly, he made his way to the elevators, returning to his room to grab essential items and leave. Clarice couldn't be far behind, it had surprised him that she hadn't been here in the first place. She could possibly be checking the room at the Broadmoor, he had been a bit blatant on his part with that name. It was surprising that he had lasted so long under it before someone finally caught on. Trust Fate to make that someone be his Clarice. If Lindsey had found Petra, which seemed to be a fluke more than anything else, it stood a good chance that his alias here was the next on her list. That one had been clever, but from what he had learned in the past couple of days, Lindsey was very wise and quick for someone her age. So much like Clarice.

He was packed and gone from the hotel by the time the dark blue Crown Victoria had pulled into the parking lot, Clarice practically running from the car and into the hotel.

*****

"Not on your life, sister." Lindsey snarled as she dove across the bed, almost diving headlong into thee floor once again. Petra was scant inches from closing her fingers around the gun when Lindsey bowled into her, knocking her away from the bed and the gun. Petra huffed as she went down the to the floor and Lindsey rose to her feet, breathing heavily as she lunged towards her weapon. Secure in hand, Lindsey trained her sights on Petra.

"Okay, who was in here Petra?" Petra sneered at her as she scrambled to her feet. Lindsey shook her head at her. "Don't move, Petra. I'm not in the mood for it." Petra's posture relaxed, and her hands went limp at her sides. There was a look of defeat on her face as she took a step towards Lindsey, angling slightly towards the bedside table that sat at her back.

"Okay, Agent Singleton, I'll come quietly."

There were warning bells going off in Lindsey's head but she shoved them aside. She didn't want to fight this woman. Even though she knew better, Lindsey would rather believe that she really was giving up. Her hand went back to the cuffs that were in her back pocket, and she pulled them out, lowering the gun as she did so.

"Step over here with your back to me, Petra, hands behind your back." Petra nodded acquiescently and Lindsey let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she really was going to give up. Lindsey took a step towards Petra, who was slowly turning.

"Okay, Petra, let's just…" she didn't have a chance to finish her sentence as she saw Petra's hand coming up, grasping something. The cuffs were dropped and her gun swung back up but not in time.

Something hard and wet slammed into Lin's cheek, just below her right eye. The impact made her see stars and she instantly reached for her face. Petra stared for a moment before moving quickly across the bedroom, heading out across the suite. Lindsey wiped at the moistness on her face and smelled the strong scent of apple juice. Her cheek hurt like a bastard as she grabbed for the handcuffs on the floor and tore after Petra. She made it to the end of the hall in time to see the door to the fire stairs swing shut. Grinning tightly Lin burst through the door, skidding to a stop on the small landing. Below her she could hear Petra's footsteps crashing back up the stairwell.

"FBI! Freeze!" she shouted down, leaning over the railing and seeing Petra almost a floor below her. The petite woman stopped for a moment and looked back up at Lindsey before taking off again. Lindsey holstered her sidearm and took off the stairs after her. The footfalls coming from each woman made quite a racket in the close quarters which was not helped by Lindsey when she warned Petra to stop again. They reached ground floor, and Lindsey had considerably closed the distance on her subject, and was only a few steps behind as they flew out into the hallway. Lindsey looked in both directions before charging down the left hallway.

Lindsey drew her gun once more and followed, warning her once again to freeze. She watched Petra bowl over a young bellhop and keep going, slamming through the swinging doors that led into the kitchen. Lin barely spared a glance at the young man who was struggling to get up as she shoved him aside in her pursuit. She slammed through the doors and paused, trying to sight Petra in the melee in the kitchen. She was back behind the hot line, the chef's staring at her as Petra shoved her way through them. Lindsey summoned up her loudest voice as she ran headlong into the kitchen, adding to the confusion that was running rampant.

"Petra Morricone! FBI! Freeze!" she wondered how many times she would have to yell 'freeze' at this woman, and how dorky she sounded yelling it. She elbowed her way past a waitress who was shouldering a large tray, the contents of which clattered noisily to the ground. Petra looked back and began to head back in the direction she had come, trying to avoid the FBI agent that was rapidly closing. Petra slammed into a large chef who was taking a huge pot from the counter. Both lost their balance and Lindsey finished the job as she tackled Petra, causing the pot's contents to spill all over them and the poor chef, who was staring at them incredulously.

A shower of cavatappi pasta rained over the women, falling everywhere on them and around them. The warm pasta only made the situation worse as Petra and Lin grappled on the kitchen floor, a growing crowd surrounding them. Lindsey grimaced as she felt pasta worming itself into her shoes and down her blouse. It felt rather like the worms her nephew had dumped in hands the last time she had visited him in Amarillo. She shoved the unpleasant feeling aside, releasing one of Petra's arms and reaching back for her handcuffs once again. 

"Petra Morricone, I am…" she didn't finish as a handful of cavatappi smacked into her face. She spat out the pieces that had gone into her mouth and went finished pulling the cuffs out.

"I am placing you under…" she tried to gain some leverage to roll Petra over onto her back, or her side at least. The pasta was sticking to her skin but was still making the floor a slippery and hazardous place to try to gain leverage. She slipped and barely stopped herself from slamming her chin into the floor. Somehow Petra had found leverage and was pulling herself up from the floor and the mess of pasta. Cavatappi stuck randomly in her raven hair, her face, and a few pieces fell from her trouser legs as she pulled herself up. Lindsey shook her head and forced herself to her feet as Petra turned to take a step away. She lunged for Petra again and both women fell back into the mess. Wrenching one of Petra's arms behind her back she snapped one cuff around the thin wrist. There was even more commotion in the kitchen as Petra tried once more to pull away.

"Stay still, dammit." Lin snarled as she pulled the free arm back, securing it in the other cuff. Petra wriggled then fell limp in the pasta. Lindsey pushed back to kneel over the legs of her captive, breathing heavily and wiping a piece of cavatappi from her face. Her fingers brushed the bruise and she winced. There was applause around her and she looked up to see Clarice making her way through the crowd of chefs, waiters and waitresses, and bussers. Clarice took the scene in and tried not to grin as she came over to offer Lin a hand up.

"So what have you two been up to?" Lin shook her head, causing a few remaining pieces of pasta to fall from the haphazard ponytail. She tugged Petra up to stand next to her, feeling the pasta squish beneath her heels, and some inside her shoes. A look of distaste crossed Clarice's face as she got a good look at Petra for the first time. "Do I know you?"

Petra shook her head, "No. You know my mother, Jane Morricone. I do know all about you, though, Special Agent Starling." She replied coolly, wincing at the uncomfortable position her arms had been wrenched into and shaking her head, causing more pasta to fall from her head. It would have been comical if it weren't for the circumstances.

"Who was in the room with you, Miss Morricone?" Lindsey asked, staring into the emerald eyes that didn't waver.

"A friend. Dr. Brussel if you must know." she shook her head, tossing her hair back out of her face. Lindsey made a face as she looked up at Clarice.

"How did you make out?" Lindsey asked, taking a step back carefully, trying to find sure footing. By now the hotel manager was shooing away the crowd and looking at the aftermath of the chase. Clarice turned away momentarily and flashed her credentials at him, explaining who they were, and what was going on. She turned back to Lindsey, who was leading Petra out from mess.

"He's gone, checked out a few days ago. Left his girlfriend there, but she didn't know who he really was. Unlike Petra here." Clarice narrowed her eyes as she stepped forward, took Petra's arm, and escorted her out of the kitchen to the back door that led to the loading dock. "Right, Miss Morricone?"

Petra looked away, ignoring the question. Lindsey brushed her hands down her pants and slipped off her right shoe, shaking the remnants of more pasta from it. She then took her ponytail out and started to twist her hair back into place as she headed back into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

"Brussel's room. Ten to one, though, he's already gone." she looked back over her shoulder as she pushed open the door. "Coming?"

Clarice smiled unemotionally at Petra as she tugged on her arm a little to get her to follow them back into the hotel. "Sure, and then we'll have a nice little chat." As they got on the service elevator Clarice looked at Lin's face, noting the darkening bruise.

"So what _were _you two up to?"

Lin grimaced as the doors closed and she spared a glare at Petra, who shrugged before looking at the doors, ignoring her captors. "I'll explain later."

*****


End file.
